"Well," said Alvin, "you may go on home now; if your 'old man' is cross with you tell him you were stopped on the road."
"Haw! haw! he mought ask how long I was stopped. Wal, I'm off."
He strode forward with long steps, as if anxious to get away from the couple who asked such personal questions. He had gone only a few paces when he abruptly halted, looked around at the two, who were amusedly watching him, and exclaimed:
"Gosh! I furgot something—I'm sorry," he added, using the catch phrase, which was beginning to take the place of the conventional "excuse me," or "I beg pardon."
"What is that?"
"I did meet a feller a little way down the road."
The youths were interested on the instant.
"Do you know who he was?" asked Alvin.
"Never seen him afore; didn't ask his name; don't spose he'd told me if I had; I nodded and he nodded; neither of us didn't speak; that's all."
"How was he dressed?"